Hearing the roar of the crowd is something every athlete cherishes.

But the opportunity to enjoy such moments is something Justin Simmons will never experience.

Simmons, a goalkeeper with the St. Mary's University (Minnesota) men's ice hockey squad, is deaf.

But Simmons, who has been deaf since he was 18 months old after a battle with spinal meningitis, insists that aside from the fact that he can't hear, he's just like everyone else.

"It's not as complicated as people might think," he said. "I have been deaf my whole life -- it's something I have had to deal with since I was very, very young, so it's really not that big of a deal."

Simmons, who speaks clearly and reads lips, certainly doesn't make it look complicated on the ice. The Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, native grew up playing hockey. In fact, until he was 12 he switched between goalie and forward, before settling on becoming a netminder.

The decision to become a goalkeeper was influenced by the purchase of new equipment by his father, who Simmons said has played a significant role in his hockey career.

"He was always there for me, every day in practice, signing for me so that I could understand what was going on," he said.

Simmons' father served as his coach all the way up through high school.

Before making the jump to St. Mary's, Simmons netted some international playing experience. As one of three goalies on the U.S. Deaf National Team, he spent four summers training at the USA Hockey facilities in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in preparation for the 2003 Games in Sweden. The work paid off. Simmons helped the team capture the bronze medal.

Now the freshman is contributing to the success of the St. Mary's program. Simmons earned a tie in his first collegiate appearance and collected his first collegiate victory, a 6-5 decision over the University of Wisconsin, Stout.

Playing in hearing-impaired competitions differs slightly from what Simmons faces in action at St. Mary's. For instance, in hearing-impaired contests, lights are stationed around the arena to signal players that there is a stoppage in play. But he said the transition between the environments calls for only minor adjustments.

"It is probably a bigger adjustment for everyone else -- they've never played with a deaf goalie before," he said.

Simmons said his teammates have been great.

"They are always asking me questions about things -- like how do I wake up in the morning if I can't hear the alarm clock? Or how do I take notes in class if I have to watch the instructor or the interpreter to read their lips?"

Simmons has a device that runs from his alarm clock to his bed so that when the alarm sounds, it shakes the bed. In the classroom, his teammates allow him to borrow their notes. He can't look down to write because he needs to see his instructor to read lips or see what an interpreter is signing.

"Being able to see peoples' faces is very important to me. People don't need to speak any differently than they normally do. They don't need to talk slower -- or louder. They just need to be themselves," Simmons said.

The Cardinals' head coach, Don Olson, said Simmons works hard, always has a positive attitude and has fit in with the rest of the team nicely.

"Justin's not about to use his deafness as an excuse or a crutch," Olson said. "The world is filled with individuals who have overcome disabilities to achieve great things. I think having Justin as a teammate has helped the rest of the team understand and appreciate that that much more."